


There'll Be Other Parties

by widowshulk



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 07:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5488454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/widowshulk/pseuds/widowshulk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce and Natasha are ready for a Christmas Eve party with Tony and the other Avengers, when they realise they're snowed it, so they decide to have some Christmas fun just the two of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There'll Be Other Parties

“Natasha, come on, we’re late,” Bruce calls up the stairs, checking the time on his phone for the fiftieth time.

“Stark won’t care if we’re late. When has he ever been on time for anything?” Natasha asks as she walks down the stairs.

“You look amazing,” Bruce says, taking in her outfit.

She’s wearing a floor-length cream gown that clings to every curve of her body and seems to glitter in the light. The halter neck emphasises her strong, muscular arms without showing off too much cleavage and she’s not wearing any jewellery to make sure the dress gets all the attention.

“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Natasha says as she reaches him.

She lifts his collar and adjusts his tie. He’s kept his outfit simple, a black suit and tie with a cream shirt that matches Natasha’s dress. The suit fitted him perfectly, thanks to Tony sending Bruce to his tailor. 

Bruce gently kisses her cheek; he knows that her makeup must have taken her a while and ruining her lipstick would not end well for him. 

“Are we ready to go?” Natasha asks.

“Not quite,” Bruce says, patting his pockets. “Early Christmas present.”

Bruce pulls a small jewellery box from his inside pocket and hands it to Natasha with a sheepish smile. It’s their first Christmas as a couple and Bruce is horribly nervous that she isn’t going to like the gift.

As she opens the box, she smiles with gleeful surprise, taking in the most beautiful pair of earrings she’s ever seen. They’re large studs set with emeralds and diamonds mounted on white gold. 

“Bruce, they’re gorgeous,” she says, unable to take her eyes off them.

Bruce breathes a sigh of relief and a small smile crosses his face. “Really?”

She looks at him and strokes his face with her free hand. “They’re amazing.”

He grins.

“They’re set like the symbol for gamma radiation. I thought that was funny. And I thought you could wear them tonight if you wanted. They might not go with the dress, though.”

“You’re rambling,” Natasha says to slow Bruce down. “I love them. The gamma symbol is perfect, and of course I want to wear them tonight.”

She hands Bruce the box to hold as she puts the earrings in. Luckily her hair is swept back for the party, so they won’t be hidden behind her hair. 

“How do they look?” she asks once they’re in.

“Breath-taking,” Bruce replies setting the now empty box down on the stairs.

Natasha smiles and reaches her arms around his neck. She kisses him lightly, careful not to ruin her lipstick. 

“Thank you for the earrings,” she whispers into his ear.

“You’re welcome.”

A moment later and they separate, Natasha goes in search of her wrap and Bruce attempts to locate the car keys.

“Ready?” Natasha asks from the front door as Bruce makes his way towards her. He dangles the keys and she smiles.

“Bozhe moi,” Natasha mutters as she opens the front door.

“Oh, shit,” Bruce mutters seconds later.

The doorframe is almost completely packed with snow, except for a gap of about a foot at the top of the frame. 

“Well, this isn’t good,” Bruce says.

“Let’s go and see how bad it is,” Natasha suggests taking his head and heading towards the stairs.

They’re at the top of the stairs moments later, looking out at the seemingly endless white blanket of snow.

“What about the back?” Bruce offers. 

They head to Bruce’s study and discover the snow is just as bad there.

“There’s no way we’re getting out of here,” Natasha says, exasperated. 

“I know. I’m sorry,” Bruce says sincerely.

“It’s not your fault, dummy,” Natasha says, nudging him with her elbow.

“But you’re stranded in my house on Christmas Eve instead of being at a fancy party with our friends.” 

Natasha shrugs. “There’ll be other parties.”

“But it’s Christmas.”

“Bruce, I don’t care about missing one of Stark’s parties, okay? I get to spend the most magical time of year with a cute dork. Nothing else matters to me.”

Bruce beams at her as the words sink in.

“But your dress… you got all dressed up for nothing,” Bruce says.

“Do you know how uncomfortable this dress is?” Natasha asks, not expecting an answer.

“I know the feeling,” Bruce says, reaching up to his tie and loosening it.

Natasha puts her hands on top of his and lowers his hands to his side. She slowly undoes his tie and drops it to the floor. She looks up at him as she undoes the top two buttons of his shirt, then she eases his jacket off and it falls to the floor. He rests his hands on her hips before sliding them up her bare back to the top of her neck. He finds the buttons to her dress and swiftly undoes them; he’s not sure how he manages to do it so quickly or so smoothly, but he’s grateful that it wasn’t as fiddly as he’d expected. The dress quickly pools at her feet and Bruce is unexpectedly confronted with a completely naked Natasha.

“I don’t like panty lines,” Natasha says as she watches his eyes bulge in confusion.

For a moment, Bruce isn’t too sure where to look, but Natasha takes his face in her hands and kisses him deeply. His left hand rests on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him as the kiss intensifies. His right hand starts at the small of her back and slowly works its way up to her neck where his fingers slowly massage her, knowing that it’s one of her favourite places to be touched.

Natasha’s hands work their way down to his chest, slowly unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. She pulls the shirt open and runs her fingers up and down his chest. She loves the feel of his chest hair on her hands; she’s still constantly surprised at how soft it is.

Bruce drops his right hand down to meet his left as Natasha eases Bruce’s shirt off. Before the shirt has even hit the floor, Natasha’s hands are at the top of his trousers, undoing his belt. Seconds later, his trousers join the pile of clothes around their feet. He pulls back from Natasha, resting his forehead on hers.

“I want to,” Bruce whispers hoarsely. “But I can’t. Not yet.”

“I know. I pushed too hard,” Natasha whispers as she runs her hands through his hair. “I’m sorry.”

She gently kisses him on the nose before pulling right back from him.

“Let’s find some clothes,” Natasha says, taking hold of his hand. 

“I’m sorry, Natasha,” Bruce says quietly, his head hung low.

“It’s okay,” she replies in her most soothing voice. “I’ll be here when you’re ready. There’s no hurry.”

Bruce smiles a small smile and follows her to his bedroom. Natasha has her own drawer in his closet, so she throws on some underwear and a pair of jeans before stealing one of Bruce’s old Harvard shirts. When she’s done, she sees Bruce is dressed and in a much better mood. 

“I don’t deserve you,” Bruce says taking in the Harvard shirt.

“I know,” Natasha says with a laugh.

“I’ve got an idea, but it may be a disaster.”

“Okay?”

“Come with me,” Bruce says, leading the way down the stairs. 

He heads into the kitchen and starts pulling bags of sugar and flour from the cupboard.

Natasha looks at him with an eyebrow raised, trying to follow his thinking.

“Christmas cookies,” he finally says.

Natasha giggles and rushes to his side. “You know what we’ll need?”

“What’s that?” Bruce asks as he opens the fridge and pulls out butter. 

“Wait there,” she says as she jogs out of the kitchen.

Bruce pulls up a recipe on his tablet while he waits for Natasha to come back. He does a check of the things he’s already pulled out before pulling more items out of cupboards until he’s satisfied. By the time he’s finished, Natasha’s back with a wrapped gift in her hands.

“I got one early, so you should too,” she says, handing him the gift. 

Bruce unwraps the gift with a smile. Initially he thinks it’s a shirt, but as it unfolds in his hands, he realises that it’s an apron. It’s a white background with a huge red Santa belly and the words ‘HO HO HO’ covering the chest. Bruce laughs as he slips the apron on over his head while Natasha moves to stand behind him to tie it up. She pulls her phone out of her jeans and takes a quick photo before giving him a gentle kiss.

“What are we making?” Natasha asks.

“Cinnamon shortbread,” Bruce replies pointing to his tablet.

“They look delicious,” she says reading the recipe.

Natasha lets Bruce start making the cookies while she finds some Christmas music on her phone to play through the speaker system throughout the house.

Bruce weighs out the ingredients while Natasha preheats the oven and gets the baking tray ready. They work together mixing the ingredients and the cookies are in the oven a little while later. Once they’re in, Natasha runs her finger through the bowl, scooping up as much dough as possible. She teases Bruce with it, waving it in his face; he grabs her wrist and sucks her finger clean. They both laugh and she dives for the bowl again, scraping as much dough from the bowl as she can. She turns to Bruce and waves her hand at him before plastering it across his face.

His mouth gapes open in mock horror and Natasha squeals in delight. His eyes dart across the kitchen, searching for something to use in retaliation. He spots his target and he’s there in a flash. He grabs the bag of flour and tips it over her head before doubling over laughing. It takes Natasha a couple of seconds to recover from the shock and to clear her face so she can see it again, but once she regains composure, she’s working out a plan of attack. She runs through a dozen scenarios, trying to work out which one will do the most damage, but then she’s distracted by Bruce starting to cough from laughing so much.

“Your face… priceless,” he manages to say between the coughs and the laughing.

She frowns at him as his face gets redder and redder. She wants to stay mad, but instead she gets him some water and pats his back. The coughing fit was punishment enough, she decided.

“Thanks,” he mutters once he’s fully recovered.

“You okay?” she asks as she rubs his back.

“Yeah, yeah, too much excitement.”

“Was it worth it?”

“Totally.”

“I’m going to take a shower and get this mess out of my hair,” Natasha says, brushing some of the flour from her face. 

“The cookies will be waiting for you,” Bruce replies, gesturing to the oven.

Natasha smiles and steps closer to him. For a moment he thinks she’s going to kiss him, but she rubs her nose against his, covering it in flour.

“Ha!” she exclaims as she leaves the kitchen.

\--

Natasha’s back downstairs in twenty minutes; her hair still wet and wearing another one of Bruce’s shirts to wear. As she heads in to the kitchen, Bruce is setting the cookies to cool, flour still on his nose.

“C’mere,” she mutters to him when he’s done and she wipes the flour away. She gently presses her lips to the tip of his nose, letting him know that it’s clean.

His face flushes red and Natasha smiles as she pulls her face back. She can’t help but plant a small kiss on his lips before turning her attention to the cookies.

“They look good, doc,” she says, reaching her hand out to grab one.

“Not yet, they’re hot,” he replies, taking her hand in his and kissing it; a much nicer alternative to slapping it away.

“We could have a snowball fight while we wait?” Natasha suggests, only half-joking.

“Wouldn’t you rather snuggle on the couch and watch a Christmas movie?” Bruce asks.

“Hmm, depends on who I’m snuggling with,” Natasha teases.

“There’s no else here, Natasha.”

“I’ll guess you’ll do then,” she teases, nudging her whole body against his.

He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her in close, dropping his head down to rest atop hers. Natasha slips her hand up Bruce’s shirt to rest in the waistband of his trousers.

They head into the living room; Bruce sets about getting the movie on while Natasha rearranges the pillows and grabs a blanket to maximise cosiness. Bruce plops himself down at the end of the couch, remote in hand, and Natasha sits next to him. She snuggles up close to him and he lifts his arm up to allow her to get comfy. She rests her head on his chest and then he pulls the blanket up over their legs. Finally, he moves his arm under the blanket to hold Natasha close to him. 

“What are we watching?” she asks quietly.

“Elf,” Bruce says, looking down at her for approval.

She smiles. “Good choice.”

Half an hour into the movie, Bruce notices Natasha’s breathing has slowed right down. He nudges her a little, but there’s no response, so she must be fast asleep. He smiles to himself and kisses her forehead very gently.

“I adore you,” he whispers before turning the volume on the remote down so as to not disturb her.

\--

Hours later, Natasha stirs and quickly wakes up. It takes her a moment to remember where she is, but she hears Bruce breathing and it all comes back to her. Bruce is leaning against the arm of the couch, fast asleep, but his arm is still around her waist. The TV must have turned itself off because the house is silent. She looks around for a clock, wondering how many hours they’ve been asleep for, and she finally spots one that reads 5:41AM. Natasha squeals silently, it’s Christmas!

“Bruce, Bruce, wake up,” she whispers, giving him a slight nudge.

He moans a little and shuffles on the couch, which Natasha knows means he’s waking up. He’s not much of a morning person, so getting him up can be a long process.

“Bruce, it’s Christmas,” she whispers, a little louder this time.

His eyes shoot open and Natasha sits up, to give him some room to move.

“It’s Christmas?” he asks, his voice low and hoarse.

“5:43AM. Christmas morning,” she says, offering him her hand to help him sit up.

Once he’s upright, Natasha throws her arms around him. “Merry Christmas, doc.”

He squeezes his arms tight around her. “Merry Christmas, Natasha.”

Natasha finally lets him go and hops up off the couch, filled with energy. Bruce watches her in awe. 

“I’ll make us some coffee,” Natasha says, realising that he’s still half asleep.

When she enters the kitchen, she spots the cookies, finally cool enough to eat. She sets the coffee machine going and gathers up and handful of cookies on a plate. Minutes later she returns to an empty living room and drops the coffee and cookies on the coffee table.

“Had to pee,” Bruce mumbles as he stumbles back in to the living room.

“Morning, handsome,” Natasha says, handing him a cup of coffee.

Bruce takes a long sip of his coffee and then forces a smile. “Good morning.”

“It’s Christmas!” she whispers excitedly.

“It is. Well noticed, madam super spy.”

“Presents now?”

“Sure, let me just finish this,” he says, slightly lifting his cup.

Natasha starts pulling all the presents out from under the tree and arranging them into piles. There aren’t many, so Bruce still isn’t finished with his coffee by the time she’s done. She sighs and sits on the floor and nibbles a cookie while she waits.

“Right, I’m ready,” Bruce finally says and Natasha sits up on her knees with a small gift in hand.

She sits in front of Bruce and presents the gift to him.

“We had a rough start, you and I, but I adore you and I adore us. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” she says as he opens the box. “Will you marry me?”

Bruce starts to laugh as he looks as the thin, titanium ring and Natasha’s face falls.

He looks up and sees her horrified face. “Wait.”

He puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out a similar box and hands it to Natasha. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”

Natasha laughs and opens the box to reveal a diamond and emerald engagement ring to match her earrings. The two of them stare at their rings and simultaneously look up at one another.

“Yes,” they say together before bursting into laughter.

Natasha gets up from the floor and perches herself on Bruce’s lap, his arm instinctively wraps around her. She uses her empty hand to lightly stroking his face before kissing him. She runs that same hand through his hair as he pulls her in closer and the kiss deepens. When they finally come up for air, they’re both beaming each other.

She rests her forehead on his and whispers, “Happy Christmas.”


End file.
